The Secret Life of Lindsay Monroe
by RoxxiSanders
Summary: Lindsay Monroe has a secret which she can’t tell anyone about but when her world is turned upside down, will Danny forgive her for lying and be the friend that she need him to be? A/U please read authors notes. Rating may go up
1. I wish I could Tell You

**DISCLAIMER:** No matter how much I wish I owned CSI NY and the hotness that is Danny Messer, I don't. All rights belong to CBS but if they would like to donate Mr Messer to me then I wouldn't complain at all and I promise to look after him.

**A/N:** This is and A/U fic so Lindsay works at the crime lab but isn't married to Danny and they don't have a child together. Please read and review.

**WARNING: **Contains some swearing in later chapters.

**SUMMARY:** Lindsay Monroe has a secret which she can't tell anyone about but when her world is turned upside down, will Danny forgive her for lying and be the friend that she need his to be?

**TITLE: **The Secret Life of Lindsay Monroe.

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

The Secret Life of Lindsay Monroe – I Wish I Could Tell You

The crime lab was unusually quiet as Lindsay Monroe walked down the corridor. The soft murmur of gossiping lab techs made her smile as she heard Chelsea, one of the newer technicians, telling Adam about how she had a date with her next door neighbour who looked amazingly like Orlando Bloom but as she rounded the corner, all hell seemed to brake loose. Danny flew down the corridor and nearly knocked her over, glancing back over his shoulder and shouting down the corridor to her, "Sorry Montana!"

Lindsay simply rolled her eyes but gasped when Stella and Mac nearly did the same. Stella however, unlike the men, stopped and grabbed Lindsay's arm to steady her. "Sorry Lindsay, we've umm…we've got a new lead and we have to hurry up; our suspect is heading for the airport."

"Well good luck with that." She offered Stella an understanding smile and watched as the older woman chased after Danny and Mac. "So much for a quiet day." Turning around, she headed for the staff room and smiled when she saw Hawkes sitting reading a newspaper. Pushing open the door, she walked in and pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge before sitting in a chair opposite Hawkes.

He looked up and smiled at her before putting down the article he was looking at. "Hey Lindsay."

"Hey, anythin' interesting?" She gestured to the newspaper with her head and he shook his head.

"Not really but I finish my shift in half an hour so if I hide out here then I might be able to leave on time." She let out a small chuckle and he made himself more comfortable in his chair. "So what brings you here? You on a break?"

"No there's nothin' for me to do." He raised an eyebrow and a confused expression crossed his face. "Well Stella, Danny and Mac are on the only murder case of the day and Adam's been workin' overtime to make money for his holiday so there's no evidence to process…I've never been so bored in my entire life before."

"I know the feelin', when you want a day off it's too busy and when you don't need one there's nothin' to do." She nodded and leant back in her own chair, letting her eyes flutter closed. "You okay?" Concern filled his voice and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just a bit tired; I haven't slept properly for the past few days." Opening her eyes, she looked over at him and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine." He eventually nodded and let it drop, knowing that he would get nothing else out of her.

Half an hour passed pretty quickly as the two made light conversation and Hawkes looked at his watch before a wide grin crossed his face. "Well, I'm done for the day…what time d'you finish?"

Looking at her own watch, she groaned. "I have another three hours of this." He smiled sympathetically and rested a hand on her shoulder before giving it a light squeeze. "Well you go and enjoy the rest of your day, just remember me while you're out havin' fun." He laughed as she threw him a teasing smirk.

"I will, I'll see you tomorrow Lindsay." She nodded and he left the break room, heading for his locker so that he could get his coat and bag before leaving. Lindsay meanwhile, stood up and headed for Adam's lab, determined to find something to ease the boredom.

On the way over however, she walked straight into Danny who was walking the other way. "Would you watch…?" He trailed off as he looked down and realised who it was. "Oh hey Montana, you okay?" He held out a hand to her and waited for her to react.

"Yeah, sorry I should have watched where I was goin'." Taking his hand, she got to her feet then straightened her shirt and smiled at him. "Thought you'd gone with Stella and Mac."

"I did but when we got to the car they told me to wait here and find somethin' productive to do." She nodded then looked around at the empty corridor. "I'm lookin' for somethin' to do I swear." Holding his hands up defensively; he laughed and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "So what you doin' anyway?"

"Umm, lookin' for somethin' productive to do actually." Her words were laced with annoyance and concern filled Danny's cobalt eyes.

"You sure you're alright Lindsay?" Taking hold of one of her hands, he pulled her against the wall and looked intently at her.

"I've just not been sleepin' too well, I'll be fine." He wasn't convinced so laced his fingers with hers and pulled her back to the break room. "Danny, I've just come from here."

"Well now we're back and you've had a nice walk." Pushing her gently into the room, he managed to get her to sit down in the same chair which she had occupied a few minutes ago. "Talk to me Lindsay."

"I…what do you want me to say?" Her voice was defensive and Danny knew that she was hiding something.

"What's wrong? You haven't been yourself these past few days Montana and I just wanna help." Sincerity crossed his face and she sighed before leaning back into her chair.

"It's just family stuff; you don't need to worry about me." She tried to keep her voice steady and he nodded, not wanting to push it.

"Alright I'll let it drop but if you decide you wanna talk about it then you know where I am." She nodded and stood up, heading for the door once again. "Hey Lindsay?"

Turning to face him, she raised an eyebrow and grabbed the door handle. "Yeah?"

"You know I'm always gonna worry about you anyway, you're my best friend…just wanted you to know that." His voice was soft but his rougher Staten Island accent still came through and she smiled.

"I know Danny, thanks." She opened the door but didn't walk through it, walking back over to Danny instead. Leaning up on tiptoes, she kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear the six words he had never wanted to hear from her. "I wish I could tell you." With that, she left the break room and headed for the locker room, needing to get her emotions back in track as she felt a tear slip down her cheek.

Danny meanwhile, sank into a chair and covered his face; wondering just what kind of secret Lindsay was keeping from him. He came up with all sorts of horrific ideas but decided that rather than going behind her back to find out, he would try to fix things between them instead. Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he quickly typed a message and pressed 'send' then leant back into his chair and waited for a reply.

Pulling the phone out of her pocket, Lindsay opened the message and smiled. It read, _'Montana, we don't have to talk about it but can we go out for a drink tonight; just wanna spend time with you?' _

The message Danny got back read, _'See you tonight cowboy; would love to go for a drink.'_ Happy with her answer, Danny jumped out of his chair and headed for Macs office to see if he and Stella were back yet; the wide smile on his face not slipping once.

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

**A/N:** Thanks for reading, please review and let me know what you thought about this chapter. I'm not sure it worked personally but the story will get better as Lindsay's secret is revealed but what is she hiding? Anyway, reviews make me update quicker ;)

Luffles

XxoxX


	2. You Wouldn't Believe Me If I Told You

**DISCLAIMER:** No matter how much I wish I owned CSI NY and the hotness that is Danny Messer, I don't. All rights belong to CBS but if they would like to donate Mr Messer to me then I wouldn't complain at all and I promise to look after him.

**A/N:** This is and A/U fic so Lindsay works at the crime lab but isn't married to Danny and they don't have a child together. Please read and review and thanks for the reviews so far; they mean a lot.

**WARNING: **Contains some swearing in later chapters.

**SUMMARY:** Lindsay Monroe has a secret which she can't tell anyone about but when her world is turned upside down, will Danny forgive her for lying and be the friend that she need him to be?

**TITLE: **The Secret Life of Lindsay Monroe.

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

The Secret Life of Lindsay Monroe – You Wouldn't Believe Me If I Told You

At half past eight that night, Lindsay walked into the bar and looked around before coming face-to-face with a smiling Danny. She jumped slightly, startled by his sudden presence. "Danny, you scared the hell outta me."

He offered her an apologetic smile and she smiled back. "Sorry Linds, I only just got here myself; finished work a bit later than I thought." She nodded and together they walked over to the bar. "I've had nothin' to do all day and then Mac dumps case notes on me an hour before I'm due to finish." She let out a small chuckle and he caught the bartender's attention. "So Montana, what'll it be?"

She thought for a moment before offering him a small smile. "White wine please." He nodded and ordered their drinks, handing over the money to the bartender when he put them on the bar.

He handed the glass of wine to Lindsay and picked up his own then gestured to an empty table. "Shall we sit down?" She nodded and together they walked over to the table. Danny put his drink down then pulled out Lindsay's chair for her, she smiled and placed her drink next to his then sat down as he sat opposite her. "So, you okay?" She nodded but remained silent and he sighed. "Did you uh…did you find somethin' to ease the boredom this afternoon?"

"Yeah, I helped Flack plan a holiday." Danny's eyes widened and she shook her head but offered him a smirk. "Even Flack goes on vacations occasionally you know."

"I know it's just, I get given a load of crap to sift through and you get to sort out holidays with Flack…life ain't fair." She laughed and he rolled his eyes but was secretly happy to see her laugh again. "So, is he goin' on his own or…" He trailed off and gave her a suggestive look, needing to know more put of what he claimed was 'curiosity'.

"No, as a matter of fact he's goin with Angell." Danny's cobalt eyes twinkled with amusement and Lindsay raised an eyebrow. "What? I think him and Jennifer would make a lovely couple."

"They probably would I guess." His voice betrayed nothing but as Lindsay looked at his eyes, she realised the true reason behind his apparent coldness.

"You're jealous." She was straight to the point and mater-of-fact but she also knew that she was right.

"Am not." He pouted slightly and she laughed at how childish he was being.

"You are, Daniel Messer you are jealous." She lifted her glass to her lips and sipped her drink before putting it back down and leaning back in her chair. "Jealousy is a terrible thing Danny."

"I'm not jealous." It was becoming evermore obvious that he was, especially due to the fact that his voice was taking on a defensive tone.

"Danny, why don't you just give in and tell me why the green-eyed monster has surfaced?" He looked at her and opened his mouth to speak but when she raised an eyebrow he sighed.

"He's blown me out three times this week to go out with her Linds'…it ain't fair." She let out a short burst of laughter but thought she had managed to cover it up by coughing. "Glad you find it funny." He really did sound dejected and she reached across the table to take hold of his hands.

"I'm sorry, it's just…I never really pictured you as the jealous type." He looked up at her and offered her a curious smile as she gently traced patterns with her thumb on his hand.

"I didn't either, I guess I'm bein' stupid." She nodded and his eyes widened at her agreement until he realised that she was winding him up. "Don't do that Montana; you'll give a guy a complex."

"Sorry, so are you gonna pretend to be happy for Flack?" He shook his head and she sighed.

"I don't need to pretend; I am happy for him, he could do a lot worse." He offered her a soft smile, unlike his usual smirk, and she smiled back. "Anyway, how 'bout you Lindsay?" She raised an eyebrow once again in question and he elaborated. "You umm…you got anyone special in your life."

He was silently praying that her answer would be 'no' otherwise she would be seeing his jealous streak twice in the same night. "I wish." Her voice was wistful and he had to fight to hide the smile which was trying to break out. "How about you?"

Smirking, he took a drink from his glass then answered her. "No, no I ain't really into guys to be honest."

He was fairly pleased with his witty retort until she kicked him in the leg under the table. "You know that isn't what I meant."

"Yeah, yeah I know and no…there's nobody at the minute." She nodded and he sighed; this was proving harder than he had thought as he wanted so desperately to ask her what was going on that had made her so quiet.

He was about to speak when a song came on and her eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh I love this song."

Looking around the bar, Danny noticed that a few couples had headed for the dance floor so stood up and held a hand out to her. "Do you umm, do you wanna dance?"

She looked uncertain for a moment but then nodded and stood up. "Sure, why not?" Lacing her fingers with his, she allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. They stood close together, her with one hand resting on his shoulder and the other on his chest as both of his arms wrapped around her waist. "Thanks for tonight Danny; it's just what I needed."

He nodded and they swayed to the music but Danny could tell that she was still distant so eventually he pulled away from her and led her out of the bar. She looked at him through confusion-filled eyes as he pulled them down the street. "Thought you might like a walk, was pretty stuffy in there." She slowly nodded and allowed him to lead her down the street to a small park. When the reached their destination, Danny sat down on a bench and gestured for her to do the same. "We need to talk Lindsay."

"About what?" Her eyes widened and she already knew what he wanted to ask her.

"I think you know 'what'." His crystal eyes bore into hers and she had to look away to hide the emotions rising within her.

"I can't Danny, not right now." Taking hold of her hands, he gave them a gentle squeeze and she sighed. "Please Danny; just let it go…I need to do this on my own."

"Why not, what's that bad that you can't tell me?" His voice was filled with hurt and she closed her eyes, blinking back tears.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Pulling her hand free from his, she rubbed at her eyes and choked back sobs.

"I'm sorry for pushin' it, when you wanna talk I'm here okay?" She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Want me to walk you home?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice thanks." He nodded and stood up, pulling her with him. The journey to her apartment was made in a slightly awkward silence and when they reached her apartment building, she turned to face him. "Thanks for tonight Danny; sorry I wasn't exactly great company."

He looked at her with serious eyes and she tried not to tear up as he said, "Don't worry; you were the only company I wanted Lindsay."

"Thanks." The whisper which escaped sounded almost foreign to her and she composed herself before speaking again. "I'm just not ready to talk to you about this yet…it's hard but don't think for one second that I don't trust you." He nodded and she stepped forwards, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. "You're an amazing friend Danny, I'm lucky to have you."

Wrapping his own around her shoulders, he placed a kiss to the top of her head and sighed. "Look, if you wanna talk you know where I am and you're an amazing friend too Linds." Pulling away, he smiled down at her. "Remember, all you need to do is call me."

She nodded and leant up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you." With that, she turned and walked inside the building and up to her apartment. Danny meanwhile, looked up at her window and touched his cheek; he was going to find out what was wrong and when he did, he was going to fix it.

As soon as she got into her apartment, the telephone rang and she had to hurry to answer it; tripping over the coffee table in the process. "Hello?" Cradling the phone to her ear, her face fell as she heard the familiar, soft and upset voice on the other end. "Darlin' what's wrong?"

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

**A/N:** Thanks for reading and thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter. Sorry for any mistakes but I wanted to post it before I go out just in case I forget when I get back. Please review and let me know what you thought about this one and if I get enough I'll update before I go away, reviews make me update quicker ;)

Luffles

XxoxX


	3. Mommy Monroe

**DISCLAIMER:** No matter how much I wish I owned CSI NY and the hotness that is Danny Messer, I don't. All rights belong to CBS but if they would like to donate Mr Messer to me then I wouldn't complain at all and I promise to look after him.

**A/N:** This is and A/U fic so Lindsay works at the crime lab but isn't married to Danny and they don't have a child together. Please read and review and thanks for the reviews so far; they mean a lot. Also I apologise in advance as this chapter will probably be fairly short but I did promise you an update before I went on holiday so here it is. I know nothing of Lindsay's parents' pasts and not much about her family so I'll admit I have made it up =]

The italics are thinking back over childhood, etc. and the bold part is Lindsay as a child.

**WARNING: **Contains some swearing in later chapters.

**SUMMARY:** Lindsay Monroe has a secret which she can't tell anyone about but when her world is turned upside down, will Danny forgive her for lying and be the friend that she need him to be?

**TITLE: **The Secret Life of Lindsay Monroe.

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

The Secret Life of Lindsay Monroe – Mommy Monroe

_As soon as she got into her apartment, the telephone rang and she had to hurry to answer it; tripping over the coffee table in the process. "Hello?" Cradling the phone to her ear, her face fell as she heard the familiar, soft and upset voice on the other end. "Darlin' what's wrong?"_

Lindsay felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as the person on the other end said nothing but softly sobbed. "Listen honey, what's wrong? I need you to talk to me."

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

Mrs Sarah Monroe was busy in the kitchen, whirling around the large room in a flowery, frilly apron. She softly hummed along to the radio, smiling as she thought back to her own childhood growing up in Idaho.

_She had been born Sarah Allison Smith in the city of Payette but had moved to Montana when she had married David Edward Monroe. Her parents were both from Idaho but she had known the minute she met David that she would go wherever he wanted her to; luckily that hadn't been far as Montana wasn't far away. Her parents had been somewhat worried when she had first gotten married as she was only eighteen at the time but they had liked David and been as supportive as they could. _

_At the age of nineteen, one year after moving to Montana, Sarah had given birth to her first child; a son whom she had named Robert. Robert was only six months old when she found out she was pregnant again and in the following February, two weeks early, Jake had been born. Their third child, Thomas had also been born early; this time by six weeks but he had recovered well and was amazingly, the tallest of all three boys. Before their only daughter had been born however, Sarah had suffered two miscarriages and been told that the chances of her having any more children was highly unlikely. A few months later nonetheless, she had found herself pregnant and soon the couple had a baby girl whom they named Lindsay._

She smiled at the thought as she walked over to the oven and pulled out a chocolate cake. "Melody?" Shouting into the living room, she got no response so put the cake on the work top and switched off the oven before walking into the room and smiling. "Melody, are you going to come and help decorate the cake?" The six year old looked up from the cartoon she was watching and nodded before standing up and following Sarah into the kitchen once more.

"Can we put some icing flowers on it?" With a pleading smile, she batted her eyelashes and put on puppy dog eyes so that Sarah would agree. The plan worked and pretty soon, the two of them were decorating the cake with roses made from pink icing.

_Lindsay had been the least troublesome of the four children but was always trying to keep up with her older brothers. She had been exceedingly close to her mother but she was also a 'daddy's girl' and was often made fun of by Robert because of her sweet nature. She loved baking with her mother and the cakes always seemed to go to David who, in return, would teach her how to ride horses and look after the ranch which they owned. _

"_**Daddy, do you think I'll be able to be a professional horse rider when I'm older?" David Monroe looked down at his six year old little girl and chuckled.**_

"_**Of course you will sweetheart." Looking down at his watch, his smile widened. "Tell you what; if we finish cleaning up the barn now then we can go horse riding this afternoon, okay?"**_

_**Lindsay jumped up and down, clapping her hands together and grinning madly. "Can we daddy?" David nodded and she wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug. "Thank you!"**_

_Lindsay had been great at riding but when she had turned fifteen, an accident had shattered her dreams of becoming the professional which her dad had promised she could be. She had fallen off a horse backwards and injured her leg as well as getting concussion and three broken ribs. It was when she was almost seventeen that she had decided to become a CSI after witnessing her best friends being murdered. _

_They had been in a diner, laughing and joking when she had excused herself to go the bathroom. While she was in there however, a gunman entered and killed the other teenagers as she watched through a crack in the doorway. She had escaped unharmed and he had gotten away with it as she had been the only witness and too afraid to testify. Years to come, she would move to New York and nobody there would know about her secret past._

_She hadn't however, known that at the age of twenty one, her life would be turned upside down again. She had only had two boyfriends by the time she turned twenty so a year later, she was overjoyed when she met a man whom she though was 'the one'. His name was Craig and he seemed perfect; he was kind and sweet and loyal but all that changed. At the age of twenty two, after five months in a serious relationship with Craig, something had happened which had made him turn violent. Lindsay had been adamant that she loved him however and had refused point-blank to leave him, despite her mother's warnings._

_Sarah had been proved right however when Craig had started to abuse Lindsay, so much so that one night he went too far and ended up in prison. When Lindsay was twenty five; he was given a ten year sentence for the grievous bodily harm he had caused to her and not long after, she had been transferred to the New York Crime Lab._

"There we go sweetheart, beautiful." Together, they admired the cake and Sarah smiled when she heard the front door close. She waited in the kitchen with the child, expecting her husband to walk in but she was horrified when another familiar face smirked at her.

"Hello Sarah, we need to have a little talk." He walked towards the two girls, an evil glint in his eyes.

"I thought you were in prison." Her terror stricken voice scared the little girl and she realised that Melody was about to cry. Quickly setting her down on the floor, she whispered in her ear. "Go upstairs and call your mommy then I want you to hide okay sweetheart?" The little girl nodded and ran upstairs; she had just reached the top step when she heard her grandmother's scream.

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

"Listen baby, I can tell you're scared but I need you to tell me what's the matter." Lindsay tried to keep her voice steady but couldn't fight the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The voice on the other end finally spoke and Lindsay's world shattered all over again. "Mommy, daddy's back and I think he's hurt grandma."

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

**A/N: **Sorry this chapter is slightly shorter than the rest but at least you have an update before I go away. Please review, makes updates quicker after all ;)


	4. Daddy Dearest

**DISCLAIMER:** No matter how much I wish I owned CSI NY and the hotness that is Danny Messer, I don't. All rights belong to CBS but if they would like to donate Mr Messer to me then I wouldn't complain at all and I promise to look after him.

**A/N:** This is and A/U fic so Lindsay works at the crime lab but isn't married to Danny and they don't have a child together. Please read and review and thanks for the reviews so far; they mean a lot. I would also like to apologise for the long wait for this chapter but I was on holiday for two weeks and have been catching up on a lot of stuff since I got back. Hopefully this chapter will make up for that.

**WARNING: **Contains some swearing.

**SUMMARY:** Lindsay Monroe has a secret which she can't tell anyone about but when her world is turned upside down, will Danny forgive her for lying and be the friend that she need him to be?

**TITLE: **The Secret Life of Lindsay Monroe.

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

The Secret Life of Lindsay Monroe – Daddy Dearest

"Listen baby, I can tell you're scared but I need you to tell me what's the matter." Lindsay tried to keep her voice steady but couldn't fight the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The voice on the other end finally spoke and Lindsay's world shattered all over again. "Mommy, daddy's back and I think he's hurt grandma."

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

"What did you just say?" She could hardly believe the words tumbling from her daughters lips.

"_Daddy's back…he's in the kitchen with Grandma." Her voice was quivering and Lindsay could tell that Melody was about to cry._

"Okay, I need you to be very brave sweetheart and tell mommy where you are." Desperately trying to keep her own voice steady, she knew that she needed to be strong for her little girl.

"_I'm at grandma's house." The terrified whisper tore Lindsay's heart in two. "She told me to hide upstairs."_

"Okay, where are you hiding though?" The calm façade she usually tried to keep up had completely vanished.

"_In the bathroom, the cupboard behind the door." Clutching the phone tightly, she tried to hold back tears._

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

Downstairs, Sarah was trying to calm down a seething Craig. "Craig, I think you need to calm down." Taking a few steps back, Sarah found herself cornered and closed her eyes for a second before opening them and looking pleadingly at the man in front of her. "This isn't going to get you anywhere."

"Don't fuck me around Sarah! Where is Lindsay…we have a lot of unfinished business?" His steely glare did nothing to ease Sarah's worry.

"She isn't here." Looking down at the floor, a tear slipped over her lashes and she thought about her daughter all those miles away from home.

"Then where the fuck is she? Supermarket? Work?" Grabbing the older woman's wrist, he shoved her back against the wall and stepped closer to her; blocking any chance of escape. "Well?" Sarah winced as he screamed in her face and began to lose patience.

"Go to hell." A sudden determination to protect her only girl set in and her voice came out in a determined, disgusted whisper.

"Don't make me ask twice." Low and warning, he tightened his grip on her.

"You'd have to ask more than twice." She looked up and spat the words at him as her cold hazel eyes met his grey-blue ones.

"No, either you answer me willingly or I make you answer me." One of her eyebrow rose in confusion but she gasped as he released her wrist and grabbed her throat. "Now, where is she?"

"Fuck you." He tightened his grip and she panicked when she found that she couldn't breathe properly.

"That wasn't very nice." Squeezing even tighter, he raised both eyebrows. "Where is she Sarah?" She remained silent but shook her head. "Do I have to tell Melody that she won't be able to see grandma anymore?" Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "Good, where is the little bitch that mothered my kid?" He eased his grip and Sarah took a deep breath.

"Don't you dare talk about my daughter like that." Annoyance passed over his face but Sarah's voice remained full of hatred. "She's in New York, nowhere near as far away from you as she should be if you ask me."

"Yeah but I didn't ask for your opinion." Sarah's mouth formed a sarcastic snarl and he leant in close to her face. "Where is she really? You think I'd fall for that one…I mean what self respecting woman leaves her child behind?"

"She had no choice but to leave Craig, I swear I'm telling the truth…she's in New York." He could tell that she was telling the truth but it only angered him further to learn that Lindsay was in a completely different state.

"Whereabouts in New York?" Sarah shrugged and he once again tightened his grip on her neck. "Don't lie to me Sarah, where does she work?"

"She works for the New York Crime Lab." Her voice came out croaky as she gasped for breath.

"Where does she live?" Again, Sarah shrugged. "Where does she live?" The scream made her wince but she shrugged and he pressed her further into the wall.

"Please…please let me go Craig." He shook his head and a couple of tears fell down the older woman's face. "I don't know the exact address…I swear I don't."

He looked at her suspiciously for a few seconds before nodding and throwing her to the floor. "Listen and listen good." She nodded and scrambled to her knees. "I am going to collect my daughter and I am taking her to New York, I need her passport."

"I'm not letting you take her anywhere." The one thing she promised Lindsay was that she would look after her daughter until Lindsay returned. She tried to make it home for visits as often as possible but still wasn't ready to take Melody to New York with her; to finally reveal her secret life to her colleagues and friends. "You'll have to kill me first."

"That can be arranged dear…don't tempt me." He snarled as she got to her feet, noticing that she was trembling. "Now, I'm going to need her passport and some clothes and then I am taking her to the airport. If you call the police I swear it's gonna be the last thing you do. I have friends…friends who know people…people who don't mind risks." She knew what he was getting at; if she called the police, he would call someone who would in turn kill her.

"And what are you going to do in New York? How will you find her…have you thought about that?" She grabbed hold the dining table to steady herself, gripping the wood so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"Just get my daughter's stuff together Sarah…I don't have time to fuck around." Sarah shook her head and he groaned. "You know what, fuck you Sarah Monroe…I'll do it myself and after this you are never setting foot anywhere near my little girl ever again." He turned and headed for the staircase but she chased after him, grabbing hold of him and trying to stop him from climbing the stairs. "It doesn't have to be like this Sarah. Just let me take my baby and I'll be out of your way." She tightened her grip on his shirt however; knowing that he didn't want to look after Melody, he wanted to use her as a weapon.

He had never sent her a birthday card, gotten her a present…he hadn't even spoken to or seen her for years. He never sent visiting requests to Lindsay and the last time she had seen him in prison, he had told her that he never wanted anything to do with her or Melody ever again; that they were both dead to him. "You don't want her…you want to use her to get to Lindsay."

"Well observed grandma." Rolling his eyes he started up the stairs but she once again pulled on his shirt. "Let go you fuckin' cow!" Whirling around, he knocked her down the few stairs that they had managed to climb and watched as she fell. She hit her head on the banister on the way down and when he looked closer, he realised that she was out cold. Seizing his opportunity, he headed for Melody's bedroom. When he found the room he was looking for, he packed a bag full of her clothes and ransacked the room in search of her passport.

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

"_Mommy I'm scared." Lindsay was still on the phone trying to calm her daughter down. She knew that she needed to call the police but Melody had to come first and she couldn't just hang up on her._

"I know you are but I need you to be brave and keep quiet so he doesn't find you." In actual fact, it was Lindsay who was trying to be brave and who was finding it very difficult not to burst into tears with every frightened whisper from her little girl.

_There was a loud bang and Lindsay jumped as Melody whimpered. "Mommy, I'm worried about grandma."_

Lindsay couldn't stop the crystal tears from falling. Melody was terrified but more so for her grandmother than herself and at that minute in time, Lindsay realised how much of her baby's life she had missed. "I know you are princess but I need you to stay where you are. Promise me you won't do downstairs."

_Melody nodded against the phone then realised that Lindsay couldn't see her. "I prom…" She was cut off as the cupboard door opened and she came face to face with Craig Heskins, her father. Letting out a scream, she tried to shield herself behind Sarah's bathrobe which was hung up._

"Melody?" Lindsay's petrified shriek echoed down the phone and Craig smirked before picking up the phone which Melody had dropped. "Melody? What's going on? Speak to me!"

"_Melody can't reach the phone right now." His tone was teasing but the malicious manner made it clear that they weren't playing a game._

"Craig?" Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"_Oh so you do remember me." He let out a mirthless laugh before continuing. "Now Lindsay, me and Melody are gonna be making a little trip…"_

"You touch one hair on her head and I swear I will kill you." There was nothing but honesty and warning lacing her words.

"_Now Miss Monroe, that isn't a nice thing to say to the father of your child. As I was saying, me and Melody are going to come out to New York to see you and I thought I'd better warn you; if you call the police and if I'm stopped on the way in…I will kill her."_

"You wouldn't, she's your daughter too."

"_You really don't know me at all do you Lindsay?" The question was rhetorical and Lindsay remained silent on the other end of the phone. "The little brat means nothing to me, she never has done but you…I've hated you since the day you put me behind bars and it's my turn for revenge. How does it feel to have your life in my hands?" He let out another laugh and Lindsay had to stop herself from being sick as the realisation hit her; he really was in charge here._

"What do you want from me Craig?" Her voice was desperate and he smirked against the receiver.

"_I told you, I want revenge. Now…we are going to come and pay you a little visit and if you try anything funny, she dies. I will call you tomorrow Lindsay and maybe we can sort something out."_

She opened her mouth to speak but he hung up; the beeping sounding from the phone like a death march in her ear. "Craig?" She got nothing and quickly put the receiver down. Falling to the floor, she dropped her head into her hands and wept; the pained wails escaping one after the other and filling the once-silent apartment. "Please God, don't let him hurt my little girl." The broken whisper was sent to the heavens as she contemplated what to do. She couldn't put her daughter at risk by telling Mac or the police but knew that she couldn't trust Craig's word either. Making her decision, she picked up the telephone and dialled the only number she knew she could rely on. When the person on the other end picked up, her voice escaped in a terrified whisper. "Danny, can you come over…I'm ready to talk."

_**-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-CSI-NY-**_

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long and I apologise for all the angst but there's more to come in the next few chapters. Please review, makes updates happen quicker and hopefully I'll be able to update soon.

Luffles

XxoxX


End file.
